Chuck Norris - Dremel tamer!

Dremel 4486 MultiPro Keyless Chuck
One of my favorite all-round tools is without doubt my Dremel. Even before I started model making again this mini multi-purpose power tool was a godsend for household DIY. For modeling it takes the hard work out of sanding, cutting and drilling.

But the Dremel does have it’s Achilles Heel, that is the horrible bit collar system. Every time you want to change a tool you invariably have to fiddle about changing the bit collar – which holds the tool tightly inside the chuck sleeve – to the right size. And these things are just the sorts of objects that go astray too.

Above: The dreadful Dremel collar sleeves - one for 'small' bits and the other
for 'big' tools - and the screw chuck. A diabolical system.

Well, talking about things that go astray, I just had to order another one of the small Dremel chuck spanners – which you need to tighten and untighten the bit collar – and while I was shopping for this I came across the answer to all my Dremel prayers, a proper mini adjustable drill chuck!

This adjustable chuck is exactly the same as the ones that you have on your full-sized power drill, it screws and unscrews to allow you to fit tool bits of practically any size. No bit collar needed! Whoo-hoo!

OK, I am perhaps making a meal of this, but any Dremel users out there will appreciate the significance and convenience of this small accessory and what a boon it is.

I’ve been using this new adjustable chuck for about a week now and it make changing out tools a lot quicker. In actual fact it’s solved two Dremel solutions in one really, as I find I can hand tighten this chuck enough to be able to dispense with the Dremel chuck spanner too (another part which tends to go missing just when you need it).

This chuck was just £7.04 from Amazon and is well worth it.

One last note. For modeling I tend to use very, very small drills and the old Dremel collar system was never small enough to allow me to use micro drill bits, but this adjustable chuck does.